Nickel-based catalysts represent the most commonly used systems for CO methanation. We have successfully prepared a Ni catalyst system supported on two-dimensional plasma-treated vermiculite (2D-PVMT) with a very low Ni loading (0.5 wt%). The catalyst precursor was subjected to heat treatment via either conventional heat treatment (CHT) or the plasma irradiation method (PIM). The as-obtained CHT-Ni/PVMT and PIM-Ni/PVMT catalysts were characterized with scanning electron microscopy (SEM)

energy dispersive X-ray (EDX)

X-ray diffraction (XRD)

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS)

inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) and high-angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM). Additionally

CHT-NiO/PVMT and PIM-NiO/PVMT catalysts were characterized with hydrogen temperature programmed reduction (H

2

-TPR). Compared with CHT-Ni/PVMT

PIM-Ni/PVMT exhibited superior catalytic performance. The plasma treated catalyst PIM-Ni/PVMT achieved a CO conversion of 93.5% and a turnover frequency (TOF) of 0.8537 s

-1

at a temperature of 450℃

a gas hourly space velocity of 6000 ml·g

-1

·h

-1

a synthesis gas flow rate of 65 ml·min

-1

and a pressure of 1.5 MPa. Plasma irradiation may provide a successful strategy for the preparation of catalysts with very low metal loadings which exhibit excellent properties.